River Confluences, Tributaries and the Fluvial Network

River Confluences and the Fluvial Network brings together state of the art thinking on confluence dynamics tributary impacts and the links between processes at these scales and river network functions. The book is unique in focus, content, scope and in bringing together engineering, ecological and geomorphological approaches to the three key areas of river system science. Taking a global approach this multi-authored text features a team of carefully selected, internationally renowned, experts who have all contributed significantly to recent ground breaking advancements in the field. Each chapter includes a comprehensive review of work to date highlighting recent discoveries and the main thrust of knowledge, previously unpublished research and case studies, challenges and questions, detailed references as well as a forward looking assessment of the state of the science.Table of ContentPreface xi List of contributors xiii 1 Introduction: river confluences, tributaries and the fluvial network 1Stephen P. Rice, Bruce L. Rhoads and André G. Roy Introduction 1 Key aims of the book 4 Sections of the book 4 I RIVER CHANNEL CONFLUENCES 11 2 Introduction to Part I: river channel confluences 13André G. Roy Introduction 13 Individual chapters 15 3 Modelling hydraulics and sediment transport at river confluences 17Pascale M. Biron and Stuart N. Lane Introduction 17 Hydraulics 18 Bedload, suspended and solute transport 29 Conclusion 37 4 Sediment transport, bed morphology and the sedimentology of river channel confluences 45James L. Best and Bruce L. Rhoads Context 45 Bed morphology 46 Sediment transport 56 Sedimentology 60 Conclusions 66 5 Large river channel confluences 73Daniel R. Parsons, James L. Best, Stuart N. Lane, Ray A. Kostachuk, Richard J. Hardy, Oscar Orfeo, Mario L. Amsler and Ricardo N. Szupiany Introduction 73 Bed morphology 75 Flow structure at large river channel confluences 80 Flow mixing at large river confluences 85 Conclusions 87 6 Management of confluences 93Robert Ettema Introduction 93 Unruly confluences 95 Management approaches 103 Managing confluences for sediment transport 104 Managing confluences for ice passage 111 Summary 116 7 Unconfined confluences in braided rivers 119Peter Ashmore and J. Tobi Gardner Introduction 119 General characteristics and significance of confluences in braided channels 121 Confluence scour depth 125 Confluence kinetics and bar formation 128 Confluence spacing and the length-scale of braided morphology 130 Sediment transport and sediment budgets 132 Sediment sorting and alluvial deposits 135 Prospect 139 II TRIBUTARY--MAIN-STEM INTERACTIONS 149 8 Introduction to Part II: tributary--main-stem interactions 151Stephen P. Rice Introduction 151 Individual chapters 153 9 Spatial identification of tributary impacts in river networks 159Christian E. Torgersen, Robert E. Gresswell, Douglas S. Bateman and Kelly M. Burnett Introduction 159 Data and measurement 160 Analytical tools 167 Future developments and challenges 175 10 Effects of tributaries on main-channel geomorphology 183Rob Ferguson and Trevor Hoey Introduction 183 Conceptual considerations 185 Empirical evidence 187 Theoretical models: (1) Regime analysis of confluences 191 Theoretical models: (2) Numerical experiments with adjustable grain-size distributions 198 Discussion 201 11 The ecological importance of tributaries and confluences 209Stephen P. Rice, Peter Kiffney, Correigh Greene and George R. Pess Introduction 209 Tributaries, confluences and river ecology 210 Tributaries, ecosystem functions and river management 215 Constraints on understanding and progress 217 A case study 218 Conclusion 235 12 Tributaries and the management of main-stem geomorphology 243Frédéric Liébault, Hervé Píegay, Philippe Frey and Norbert Landon Introduction 243 Conceptual framework for assessing the geomorphological impact of tributaries 245 Managing the geomorphological impact of tributaries 251 Conclusion 266 13 Confluence environments at the scale of river networks 271Lee Benda Introduction 271 River network structure and confluence environments 272 Symmetry ratios and confluence environments 273 Basin shape, network patterns and confluence environments 280 Local network geometry 284 Drainage and confluence density 284 River network scaling properties of confluence environments 285 The law of stream sizes and the spatial scale of morphological diversity related to confluences 289 Longitudinal extent and size of confluence environments 290 Stochastic watershed processes 291 The role of hierarchical branching networks 292 Discussion 295 River networks, resource management and river restoration 296 III CHANNEL NETWORKS 301 14 Introduction to Part III: channel networks 303Bruce L. Rhoads Introduction 303 Individual chapters 304 15 Hydrologic dispersion in fluvial networks 307Patricia M. Saco and Praveen Kumar Hydrologic dispersion effects on runoff response 307 Runoff response as travel-time distributions: the GIUH 309 Geomorphologic dispersion in stream networks 314 Non-linear effects and the use of hydraulic geometry relations 316 Kinematic dispersion in stream networks 318 The effect of scale and rainfall intensity on the dispersive mechanisms 320 Hillslope Dispersive effects 324 Kinematic dispersion effects using the meta-channel approach 329 Summary and future research directions 331 16 Sediment delivery: new approaches to modelling an old problem 337Hua Lu and Keith Richards Introduction 337 The concept of sediment delivery 340 Difficulties in measuring and estimating sediment yield and SDR 341 Links between hydrology and sediment production and yield 347 Physical inferences of sediment delivery based on a simple lumped model 352 Practical large-scale application using a distributed model 358 Conclusions 361 17 Numerical predictions of the sensitivity of grain size and channel slope to an increase in precipitation 367Nicole M. Gasparini, Rafael L. Bras and Gregory E. Tucker Introduction 367 Landscape-evolution models 370 Example simulation of network evolution 376 Discussion 386 Conclusions 388 18 Solute transport along stream and river networks 395Michael N. Gooseff, Kenneth E. Bencala and Steven M. Wondzell Introduction 395 Review of current knowledge 396 Linking transport processes with the fluvial geomorphic template 404 Forward-looking perspective 410 19 Fluvial valley networks on Mars 419Rossman P. Irwin III, Alan D. Howard and Robert A. Craddock Introduction 419 Early observations 421 Distribution, age, origin and morphology of valley networks 422 Morphometry 432 Alluvial deposits 436 Hydrology 438 Summary 442 Acknowledgements 442 References 442 Subject Index 453 Place Index 457Biographical NoteStephen Rice, André Roy, and Bruce Rhoads are the editors of River Confluences, Tributaries and the Fluvial Network, published by Wiley.River Confluences, Tributaries and the Fluvial Network is a comprehensive overview of the subject, bringing together, for the first time, state-of-the-art thinking on confluence dynamics, tributary impacts and river network functions. The book is unique in its focus, content and scope and in considering geomorphological, engineering and ecological approaches to this important aspect of river system science. The text is written by an international team of experts who have set the research agenda in this field and who continue to make significant, ground-breaking contributions. Each chapter includes a comprehensive review of work to date, defines the current state of understanding, and introduces new, cutting-edge research and numerous global case studies. The collection provides a benchmark reference and a forward-looking assessment of the state of the science that maps out the key challenges and research questions that lie ahead. An invaluable reference for postgraduates and researchers in the fields of fluvial geomorphology, sedimentology, ecology, hydrology, river management and engineering. The book will also be of interest to professional geoscientists, engineers and ecological consultants, looking for an up-to-date overview of the subject. Multi-authored work, written by leading international experts in the fieldIncludes previously unpublished research and case studiesGlobal examples to illustrate the various approaches to the study of confluences, tributaries and networks